HISTORY OF PROJECT
SR
68 is a critical highway for the northwestern Arizona region. It provides a vital link for employment,
tourism and commercial trucking. The
Arizona DOT included several innovative features into the design-build contract
to benefit the traveling public during construction. The project was the first design-build job in a rural area in
Arizona. Design-build allows a design
team and a contractor to work together, at the same time, to complete a project
in a much shorter period of time than when working under a traditional design-bid-build
schedule.
SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES
Several
agencies worked closely together to mitigate disturbances during the
project. Among the agencies involved
were the Arizona DOT, the Federal Highway Administration, the Bureau of Land
Management, Arizona Game and Fish, the State Land Department, and the Lake Mead
National Recreation Area. Mitigation
measures included salvaging and replanting native vegetation, preservation of
visual quality, and preservation of wildlife and cultural resources. New construction was blended with the form,
line, color and texture of the surrounding landscape. Disturbed surfaces were seeded or planted with shrubs, trees, and
cacti native to the area. Other
features aimed to preserve or enhance the environment and overall setting of
the roadway area included construction of two wildlife crossings in the area of
Union Pass, installation of wildlife fencing, and staining or painting to help
new materials blend into the surrounding.
Specific environmental and landscape measures were taken to accomplish the
following:
Protect
and enhance wildlife
Preserve
visual quality
Accelerate
vegetative rehabilitation
PROJECT PARTNERSHIPS AND
PARTICIPANTS
Kiewit
Construction Company
Parson
Transportation Group
Arizona
Department of Transportation
Federal
Highway Administration
Bureau
of Land Management
Kaneen
Advertising and Public Relations
Michael
Baker Jr., Inc.
Golder
CH2M
HILL
For
a project of the magnitude of State Route 68, a large number of cooperating
people, private companies, and governmental agencies were required to cooperate
in order for the project to be successful.
The Arizona Department of Transportation was responsible for planning,
design, construction, environmental oversight, and final quality. Financial management and standards quality
were the responsibility of the Federal Highway Administration and the Arizona
DOT. The Bureau of Land Management and
the Arizona Land Department played a vital role because of their ownership of
the land adjacent to the project. The
Arizona DOT was also supported by their general consultant CH2M HILL and their
subconsultants. The design-build team
of Kiewit Western Company and Parsons Transportation Group, along with several
subconsultants, were responsible for the design and construction of the
improved State Route 68.
PROJECT OUTCOME AND
LESSONS LEARNED
·
Utilization of “Partnering” assisted in
making design build work in an environmentally sensitive area.
·
A commitment
to the Community Outreach needs to be made by all teams member
·
Community
outreach should use a variety of methods to reach the customers. Two-way communication such as Internet and
phone help the customer reach the owner with both positive and negative
comments.
·
Educating
crews of the importance of, mitigation efforts and desired outcomes helps
ensure a quality end product.
The State Route 68 project was built utilizing a design-build contracting
method. Design-build is a relatively
new approach to highway construction that helps ensure an improved quality and
a more efficient construction process.
The approach allowed construction of portions of the new roadway while
design of the other portions was still underway. This resulted in completion of the highway project in a shorter
period of time than with traditional construction projects.
It was concluded that projects of this type could be
accomplished without significant disruption of the surrounding natural
environment. A teamwork approach
ensured that disturbances could be mitigated during construction through
special efforts including environmental awareness training and special efforts
to accommodate wildlife through use of wildlife crossings, special fencing, and
enhancement of bat habitat. Other
efforts were made to preserve the visual quality with special attention to the
landscape during and after construction.
Construction of SR 68
Filming Public Service Announcement
Hilfiker Wall Constructed on SR 68
Relocating Cactus Along SR 68
Wildlife Along SR 68